Child, Youth, and Family Programs

MacBain Community Centre Schedule & Programs 

Join us at the MacBain Community Centre for a variety of programs for all ages! Be sure to check out the Aquatics schedule and the Library schedule to see what other programming is happening at the MacBain Community Centre!    

Registered Programs

Registration 

Sign up on ActiveNet or in person for these fun, educational, multi-week programs! 

How to sign up with ActiveNet

Special Considerations

For individuals requiring special considerations to participate, please contact Nathan Smith and [email protected] in advance of registration.

Support Persons

A volunteer/caregiver/personal support worker accompanying a paying person requiring support enters free of charge.

Spring Programs 2025. Registration opens on March 5, 2025!

  • Alchemy Yoga: In partnership with Alchemy Yoga and Wellness Studio, we have yoga classes for youth of all ages, from infants to teens! Alchemy Yoga strives to provide you with a serene, safe space to get to know your body because that is what Yoga is about! With small class sizes, everyone from all walks of life can feel accepted and authentic here. You Belong!
    • 7-week programs, starting in March & May!
    • Cost: $85
    • Session 1 Classes: Begins the week of March 17 
    • Session 2 Classes: Begins the week of May 12 
  • Babysitting Course: The Canada Safety Council Babysitting course covers everything from managing difficult behaviours to essential content on leadership and professional conduct as a babysitter. Aspiring babysitters also learn basic first-aid skills. All required materials are included in the registration fee.
  • CalmQuest Kids: Discover the Calm Quest Kids 5-Week Program, designed to help children to develop emotional awareness, self-regulation, and social skills through engaging activities and interactive lessons. Each session includes fun exercises, a Feelings Journal, and take-home resources for parents to reinforce learning. Empower your child with tools to understand and manage emotions while building confidence and resilience. Let’s make emotional well-being a priority!
  • Carousel Players Theatre School 
    • 8-week programs, Tuesdays starting April 1
    •  In this fun-filled 8-week drama program, young minds will explore the exciting world of creativity! Through imaginative games, role-playing, and group activities, children will build confidence, express their ideas, and develop communication skills in a supportive and playful environment. It's the perfect way to spark your child's creativity and help them discover the joy of self-expression!
  • Creative Bug
    • 9-week programs, Thursdays starting April 17th (no class May 8)

    • Our Spring Art Show will feature the art from all artists in our SMASH Art Club and Sewing Clubs on Thursday June 19 6-6:45pm. All art will be available for pick up after 6:45pm on June 19

    • SMASH Art Club: Creative Bug Presents: A Walk in the Garden! We are excited to share with you 8 weeks of art ending with an art show! We cannot wait to share our garden of art with you including croaking frogs, puddle splashes, flowers and all of the things we love about spring! We will enjoy a variety of mediums including acrylic paint, watercolours, clay and more!
    • Sewing Club: Your artist will design their own Monster Pencil Case from a selection of fabrics and bring it to life while learning how to set up their station, trouble shoot and become more proficient on a sewing machine. This program will end with an art show so artists can share their work with friends and family!
  • Dodgeball: Our Youth Dodgeball Program introduces players to the fundamentals of dodgeball while building teamwork, agility, and strategic thinking. Following World Dodgeball Federation (WDBF) rules, participants will develop throwing, dodging, catching, and blocking skills through engaging drills and game scenarios. With a focus on teamwork, decision-making, and game awareness, this program provides a fun and supportive environment for players of all skill levels to grow and compete.
  • Home Alone Course: The Home Alone Program is designed to provide children ten years of age (or turning ten this year) and older with the necessary skills and knowledge to be safe and responsible when home alone for short periods of time. It will help them understand how to prevent problems, handle real-life situations, and keep them safe and constructively occupied. All required materials are included in the registration fee. 
  • Kidz Who Can Coding: Learning to code on a computer is similar to learning a language! Young children are able to pick these skills up very quickly, especially when they think they are just playing and having fun. KIDZ WHO CAN is a local Niagara business that provides workshops for young people, teaching coding fundamentals and basic graphic design skills. Children use prompts and activities to express their creativity through storytelling, animation, and visual design all while creating their own video games and projects! 
  • Little Medical School: Through this variety of classes offered by Little Medical School, participants are provided youth programming in health awareness and medically inspired education to encourage and brighten young minds as they explore healthy lifestyles, wellness, and careers in the medical field through role play, interactive demonstrations, and fun hands-on activities.
    • 6-week programs, Tuesdays starting April 8, 2025
      • Little Vet - Pawesome Adventures: After “adopting” their very own plush puppy, students will role play the key responsibilities of a veterinarian, including how to properly perform a nose-to-tail exam. These future veterinarians will learn how to sew stitches, remove ticks, make healthy treats, and vaccinate their dog.  Our program concludes with our new little Vets graduating/receiving a diploma and reciting the Vet Oath to their family and friends!
    • 6-week programs, Thursdays starting April 10, 2025
      • Under the Sea Ocean Explorers: This program offers a dynamic, hands-on experience to the world of Marine Biology. Children conduct ocean experiments and adopt their very own plush Orca . Along their journey, they will learn how to preserve our oceans, discover how to rescue, rehabilitate, and return sea animals back to the wild. Children will uncover the mysteries of ocean layers, vertebrates vs. invertebrates, water pressure, and more! They’ll also explore marine mammals, ocean animal babies, and ocean predators. This engaging program culminates in their graduation as Little Marine Biologists, empowering them to protect our oceans!
      • Little Doc Med/STEM Career Explorers: Discover the fascinating world of healthcare and STEM careers with fun, hands-on activities! Explore nursing, dentistry, surgery, pediatrics, nutrition and more while discovering what makes them exciting. The experience culminates in a fun ‘Match Day’ graduation ceremony where students pick their favorite career path, sparking curiosity and a love for Medicine and STEM.
    • 6-week programs, Tuesdays starting May 20, 2025
      • Little Vet - Purrs and Neighs : In this combination Vet program, students will learn all about our feline and Equine Friends. They will adopt their very own plush kitty and pony while discovering their body language, styles and creating cat toys and horse hoof models. They will learn how to keep their animal friends healthy through assessing their unique anatomies, nutrition and learning what makes them purr and neigh!
      • Forensic Science - CSI Mysteries: Uncover the clues, crack the case - your forensic adventure starts here! Students will conduct experiments on fingerprinting, collecting shoe prints, chromatography, composite drawing, facial reconstruction, toxicology, and handwriting analysis to solve a crime. The class culminates with the forensic student team working together on a crime scene investigation!
    • 6-week programs, Thursdays starting May 22, 2025
      • Marine Biology - A Sea Turtle Adventure and Rescue :Dive into the world of marine biology on this extraordinary expedition! Our program gives participants a hands-on, dynamic introduction to sea turtles and conduct ocean experiments.  Each participant will become the caretaker of a plush sea turtle, conduct health checks, explore the diversity of sea turtle species, and join a team effort to rescue and release a Leatherback Sea turtle back into the wild. This engaging program culminates in their graduation as Little Marine Biologists, empowering them to protect sea turtles and our oceans!
      • Medical Marvels - Calling all Doctors: Inspire learning today - healthy futures tomorrow.  Through role-play and activities, students will learn the key responsibilities of a explore the heart, lungs, and digestion. Students will use real medical instruments (stethoscope, reflex hammer, and blood pressure cuff) and practice scrubbing, suturing, and tying knots like a real surgeon. They will be enlightened in the importance of preventive care and healthy lifestyles. Our students will graduate, receive a diploma, recite the Little Medical School Hippocratic Oath for their family and friends. They will receive their lab coat and very own stethoscope to take home!
  • Magic Lessons: In partnership with the Ontario Children’s Magic Academy, we teach kids to care!  Unlock potential : Research has proven that learning and performing magic builds great character. Throughout these amazing programs, kids practice speaking skills, explore their creativity, and develop sequential thinking. Discover Magic creates Extraordinary Fun that makes GREAT KIDS appear!
    • 6-8 week programs, Thursdays starting April 3, 2025
    • Magic Explorers - Series 1: Magic Explorers is a one-of-a-kind program developed to help kids have fun, make friends, and feel special. Where Magic meets Arts and Crafts. Classes include art making, magic tricks, stories and learning the 3 keys to magic while taking adventures with our Magic Explorer characters!
    • Purple Wand Course -  Get ready to take an amazing adventure into the exciting world of magic. Every Lesson, students learn something NEW that they will want to share with others! Each WAND COURSE features completely different magic tricks and activities while all reinforcing the exact same 8 Character Traits that make “A TRUE MAGICIAN”!, Each lesson reveals an important life skill to help build their confidence and communication skills. Every lesson comes with a custom magic prop, a top-secret file folder, and a secret word to unlock bonus videos in the online video vault.
  • Martial Arts Center Karate: In partnership with The Martial Arts Center, this 10-week program teaches Goju Ryu Karate, a traditional style of Okinawan martial arts. Goju is a well-balanced system which is great for youth of all ages. At the youth level, the program teaches the fundamentals of Karate, with a focus on improved fitness, coordination, courtesy, self-confidence, and control. Participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and test to advance in belt levels near the end of the session. A uniform t-shirt is required and can be purchased from the Center at the first class for $25. 
    • Date: 10-week program, Fridays starting April 11, 2025 (No class April 18)
    • Cost: $135
    • Beginner/Intermediate (8yrs - 12yrs) - 6:00-7:00 pm.
    • Click here to register
  • Racquetball Lessons: Come out and discover the basics of Racquetball learning skills, drills, and games from community Racquetball coaches Todd Bright and Tammy Gray. The small group settings will ensure everyone gets plenty of playtime and coaching! All equipment provided. Adult lessons now offered, click here to learn more!
    • Date: 4-week programs, Thursdays starting May 29 & Mondays starting June 9.
    • Thursday Classes Beginning May 29
    • Monday Classes Beginning June 9:
  • RoboThink Robotics: Offers fun & educational robotics, STEM and coding programs to children! We go beyond robotics, fostering self-confidence, technical mastery, creativity, and spatial awareness. Join us for a journey of fun and endless STEM learning possibilities! 
    • Trains, Planes, and Automobiles - Explore the land and the sky with RoboThink! In the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles camp, students will build robots inspired by different vehicles, including planes, trains, and cars, using motors, gears, and batteries. They will also get to create new exclusive robots to bring their projects to life 
      • 6-weeks, Saturdays starting March 22 (no class April 19)
      • Ages: 5 - 12 years
      • Time: 1:30pm -2:30pm
      • Cost: $200
      • Click here to register
    •  Amusement Park - Welcome to RoboThink Land! As the newest rollercoaster engineer, it’s your child’s job to help build the best amusement park they possibly can! This program has students using motors, axles gears and more to create a wide variety of theme park rides, including a Ferris Wheel and a rollercoaster!
    • AI ThinkLab: Robots - Let's learn, build, code and play with AI robots.  This innovative program is specially designed for children to get hands-on experiences with AI (Artificial intelligence).   Students will not only build robots, learn to how to code, but also use cool AI tools to control robots and to gain an understanding of AI application in this increasingly automated world.  
  • Sportball Multi-Sport: Multi-Sport classes keep children moving and engaged and send them home with new skills from a different sport in each class. These well-rounded classes provide an amazing foundation for a lifetime of active living, bundling soccer, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, volleyball, golf and tennis into one comprehensive package. Sportball Methodology is designed to support three key areas of early childhood development: sports skills, pro-social skills, and motor skills.
    • 11-week program, Sundays starting May 25, 2025 (No class on June 29 & August 3)
      • This Program will run at the MacBain Community Centre until July 6 at which point it will run out of Prince Charles Park
      • Parent and Tot (16 months - 3 years) - 9:00-9:45 am. Cost: $210. Click here to register
      • Parent and Tot (16 months - 3 years) - 9:45-10:30 am. Cost: $210. Click here to register
      • Junior (4yrs - 6yrs) - 10:30-11:30 am. Cost: $210. Click here to register
      • Senior (7yrs -10yrs) - 11:30-12:30 pm. Cost: $210. Click here to register
    • 10-week program, Fridays starting April 4, 2025 (No class on April 18)

Municipal Fee Assistance

We want everyone in our community to have the chance to participate. Money should not be a barrier!

Financial assistance to help with child/youth program fees.

Information about more subsidies and grants.

Refund Policy 

  • For Programs, Courses, and Special Events with two or fewer classes/sessions:
    • A refund will be issued if it is more than 48 hours from the start of the course
    • No refunds will be issued within 48 hours from the start of the course
  • For Programs, Courses, and Special Events with three or more classes/sessions:
    • A refund will be issued if the class has not started
    • Once the class has started, registration fees will be refunded on a pro-rated basis
    • No refunds will be issued after the third class
  • Late Enrollment: Joining after the first class will only result in a prorated fee if the program is delivered by Niagara Falls staff (ex. Swim Lessons) and not if delivered by a 3rd party provider (ex. Carousel Players Drama Program)  
  • All refunds and transfers are subject to a $10.00 administration fee, per participant
  • A full 100% refund is given if the program is cancelled by the City of Niagara Falls

Drop In Program

No need to register! Just drop on by for open programs that anyone can enjoy! Equipment available to borrow for any drop in program. ID is required for equipment.

Supervision Requirements: For All Ages Drop In Programs, children under 12 must be accompanied by a caregiver who is a minimum 16 years of age.

Support persons: A volunteer/caregiver/personal support worker accompanying a paying person requiring support enters free of charge.

Day Passes available: Get access to all the great drop in programs plus the pool for only $10 per child / $15 per adult / $25 per family (excludes indoor play structure)

Join us as we expand our all ages programming on school holidays to provide safe family fun

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School Holiday Programs

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